Taco Bell has a totally underrated breakfast menu most people overlook — here are the best and worst things to order

The Tex-Mex fast-food chain with a reputation for being a popular — ahem— late-night food destination does in fact have a breakfast menu.

Think about it: eggs, salsa, cheese, tortillas... Tex-Mex is tailor made for breakfast.

The menu is available till 11am, which is good news for those who like to get a bit of extra sleep. But what to order from this oft-overlooked morning option?

Limited-time offers aside (I'm still mourning the loss of the Breakfast Quesalupas), here are the breakfast menu items ranked from worst to best.

1/

13. Bacon Breakfast Burrito

Hollis Johnson

A deadly surge of hot, incredibly salty cheese with some slight bacon debris engulfed the first bite of this. In moderation, the liquid cheese Taco Bell uses is fine — one might even go so far as to say it's good. But when confronted with a flow of such magnitude, the cheese runs rampant, mercilessly trampling the taste buds. This burrito is outrageously salty, and it tastes as though it may be actively undermining my health.

2/

12. Sausage Quesadilla

Hollis Johnson

Very thin — very, very, thin, both in profile and taste.

All fast-food items need a raison d'être, a solid logic and purpose to its being. This has none apparent; it is an inconsequential pancake of tortilla, meat, egg, and cheese. The quesadilla cools rapidly, leaving it a congealed, clammy slab. Plus, there's a solid inch of solitary tortilla around the edges — the dreaded quesadilla no man's land.

3/

11. Bacon Quesadilla

Hollis Johnson

See above. I would steer clear of the quesadillas, unless you take joy in... the lack thereof. It's the hair shirt of the Taco Bell breakfast menu.

4/

10. Bacon Crunchwrap

Hollis Johnson

The Bacon Crunchwrap registers even lower on the flavor scale than its sausage counterpart. It's a salt-bomb, and the choice of bacon bits instead of small slices often means uneven distribution of bacon throughout the wrap.

5/

9. Cinnabon Delights

Hollis Johnson

Little orbs of sugar-dusted terror filled with a thick icing colloid that makes dental hygienists the world over shudder and quake in fear. If you're into a straight sugar injection in the morning, then go for it. But be forewarned: I will judge you.

6/

8. Sausage Grilled Breakfast Burrito

Hollis Johnson

Three bites in, and no sausage to be had. After trying the other side, the salty little gray chunks of meat emerge after two bites, but they are far and few between.

This suffers from the same salty surge as the bacon version, and the same deleterious aura. Eat only when absolutely necessary, and even then, reconsider.

7/

7. Mini Skillet Bowl

Hollis Johnson

There's a nice balance of salty potatoes and light egg — although the egg is rather suspect in its smooth, gelatinous blandness. The pico de gallo is a nice touch, but the cool tomato chunks feel slightly incongruous with the warm, melty cheese and egg. Not bad, but not great — like having dollar slice pizza when the sun is still up and you're sober.

8/

6. Sausage Crunchwrap

Hollis Johnson

There isn't much to it, really. A slab of peppery, salty sausage sandwiched between some pale yellow eggs and a potato hash brown, all enveloped in cheese and a flour tortilla. I'm wondering where the "crunch" in Crunchwrap comes into play? It's decent, but there isn't as much flavor — or crunch, alas — as one would expect.

9/

5. Bacon Grande Scrambler

Hollis Johnson

As with most of the bacon items on the menu, it's incredibly salty. However, the brackishness is tempered by the potato, egg, and sour cream — it's actually decent. But as before, the bacon bits instead of strips makes for spotty distribution.

10/

4. Sausage Grande Scrambler

Hollis Johnson

A step above the bacon version, with some flavorful bite coming from the sausage. I wouldn't say it shines the brightest, but it's a fair choice. Once again, major saltiness comes into play, but it's not as much of a saline slam as the bacon Grande Scrambler.

11/

3. Steak Crunchwrap

Hollis Johnson

The steak is surprisingly well seasoned — it has a slight kick to it, peppery and salty. Still no crunch, but at this point it isn't anticipated. The steak and hash brown is a good pairing, and the extra spice brings a much-needed edge to it.

12/

2. Fiesta Potato Grilled Breakfast Burrito

Hollis Johnson

Now this is... good.

The potatoes are more satisfying and flavorful than both meat options. It's filling and rich without being heavy or too much to handle. The egg-potato-cheese ratio is spot on and the pico de gallo works well in this context, adding some pops of juicy tomato to the savory, starchy mix.

13/

1. Steak Grande Scrambler

Hollis Johnson

Large, filling, oddly satisfying. The Grande Scrambler is a melodious melange of every fast-food breakfast offering wrapped in a tortilla: meat, eggs, and potatoes, combined with the Taco Bell Tex-Mex mainstays of pico de gallo, nacho cheese, and sour cream. Taco Bell's steak holds a delicious spicy note which cuts through the starchy potatoes and smooth egg. By far the most rounded and guiltily delicious item.